California Private Schools Can Expel Lesbians

The headline might seem like something out of a time capsule, but it's still true today that gay students in California do not have a right to attend private schools. A state court ruled yesterday that because California Lutheran High School is a social organization, and not a business, it is not subject to state antidiscrimination laws.

In the 3-0 ruling the court maintained:

The whole purpose of sending one's child to a religious school is to ensure that he or she learns even secular subjects within a religious framework.

The decisions was based on an earlier ruling that held that the Boy Scouts of America could exclude gays and atheists.

The two girls at the center of the case were expelled after another student reported certain postings found on their MySpace pages. The principal questioned them about their sexual orientation, and then expelled them based on their answers. After the ruling, their lawyer lamented that according to the decision, religious schools can discriminate on any basis.

Since this ruling will most likely be appealed to the Supreme Court, do you think it should be overturned or upheld?

Well would you guys like to see the other side of the story...
I am attending California Lutheran High School currently.
What I want to know is... Why are those two lesbian women so upset?
Being at a Christian school that is intolerant of homosexuality, why would you be surprised that you got expelled?

"Of course the school posts that kind of stuff steph??? Why wouldn't they. They are a school and want people to know that they are teaching them a high level of academic, but also offering a morally sound environment."
(read very s-l-o-w-l-y) The stuff the school posts sounds business-like, not social, challenging the notion that an accredited high school is allowed to discriminate.

"This is just horrifying. As a young lesbian myself, I'm glad I didn't have to go to a private school where I could be expelled for that fact, but the real issue I have with this is that if these girls were being sent by their parents to a religious school, then it's highly likely that their parents would not be cool with them being gay, therefore putting these girls in a very difficult possibly dangerous situation. Coming out is hard and it's something that those girls weren't given the right to do in their own time, why aren't we thinking about these young women's emotional struggle?"
Didn't they find out this information on myspace?? so then the parents could have just as easily found out they were gay??? Doesn't sound like they were hiding it to me.
Of course the school posts that kind of stuff steph??? Why wouldn't they. They are a school and want people to know that they are teaching them a high level of academic, but also offering a morally sound environment.

I agree with that Jude, but then it's the parent's decision to send that kid to that school, so it's still someone's decision. If that child couldn't conform to the school's moral codes, then they needed to tell the parents. Part of growing up and being an adult is being brave enough to talk about those things that are difficult to talk about. Unfortunately, too many parents have yet to grow up.

"Morehouse is 98% African American and all male. " right because it's a historically black college established in a time when Blacks and Whites couldn't attend the same college. However HBCU allow students of all nationalities to attend. So that has nothing to do with schools that discriminate based on race.

Mich, I agree I'm trying to figure out how a place that takes money from people and provides a service ( and is not a Non Profit) isn't a business? I hope it's overturned simply because of that reason. Not to mention that the coversation regarding the girls sexuality is questionable, where there parents present during this interrogation oops I mean conversation, and are the girls required ( under the law) to even make that information availible to the school?

This is from the school's website - doesn't sound like a social group to me: if it brags that it meets certain secular education standards, that sounds like the school is offering a service for pay.
"California Lutheran High School is accredited by WASC, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. WASC is one of six regional associations in the United States that accredit both public and private schools, colleges, and universities. This means that CLHS meets or exceeds every education standard set by the state of California. Our education program is constantly being reviewed to ensure that CLHS offers the highest quality education.
Our curriculum is also accepted by the University of California—the most discriminating public institution in California."

This is just horrifying. As a young lesbian myself, I'm glad I didn't have to go to a private school where I could be expelled for that fact, but the real issue I have with this is that if these girls were being sent by their parents to a religious school, then it's highly likely that their parents would not be cool with them being gay, therefore putting these girls in a very difficult possibly dangerous situation. Coming out is hard and it's something that those girls weren't given the right to do in their own time, why aren't we thinking about these young women's emotional struggle?

I was raised catholic, went to a private lutheran school, and there were women on the councils, gay kids in the school (K-12th) etc. While I understand why people are mad at them, its not "the new racism" its just the old beliefs and Its their right, as a private school/business, to dictate who they accept or not.
If these girls were outwardly and publicaly stating thier sexual preferences in such a way that it was open to scrutiny, as in "Look mom that girl I go to school with is on myspace talking about having sex with other girls" and that parent, who is paying a pretty penny to have their child go to a christian school thinks "I should pull them out" the school will lose money and credibility and thats bad for business.

"This is a horrible first sentence. It doesn't mean that they can't attend any private school, it just means that they can't attend this private school."
I second you and organic. It is a terrible sentence. But doesn't it make the story just that more dramatic? My sense is that the words were carefully chosen for added effect.

i'm not too surprised that a religious private school would do this, but where are their priorities? aren't they first and foremost educators? guess not. what will they be expelling students for next? it's such bullshit.

What offends me the most is that the girls we kicked out for what they were thinking and writing in their private life and not their actions in school. Had they been behaving sexually or inappropriately at school then I would hold my tongue, but to kick someone out, who is already enrolled, doesn't seem right to me. If I were a religious school wouldn't you want the girls to stay and hopefully change their views. They were only 16.
(Not that I believe that sexuality is changeable, I'm just saying what I would have done as a religious institution.)

That statment that gay students can't attend private schools is kind of wrong.<br><br>This is making me think. Would the schools be allowed to deny based on race? What about social standing? Religion? Income? Hair color? Gender? <br><br>I think I saw something recently on MSN about a school that was only for gay students, and of course there are all-black colleges.<br><br>I don't know. It's definitely a sticky one.

Steph, what federal rules on Church schools did you find? I was thinking about how this might play out in the Supreme Court. It seems like they don't have a complaint (at least as far as the homosexual issue is concerned) that would be heard by the SC. As far as I know there aren't federal laws against discriminating based on sexual orientation. But hearing some of those federal religious school rules might lend some perspective.

Hainan57, what does Morehouse College has to do with not allowing non minorities into college - there Valedictorian last year was a white gentleman. My college I went to was 97% white does that mean they didn't want non whites in the college?